Police: Crafton man kills wife, self

Estranged couple were separated; leave 3 daughters

A Crafton man shot his estranged wife in the head early Wednesday and then turned the gun on himself, leaving three young daughters behind, Allegheny County officials said.

Richard Gorsuch, 46, and his wife, Amy Gorsuch, 40, had been married for 10 years but were separated for the past six months, said James Morton, assistant superintendent for the Allegheny County police.

Ms. Gorsuch spent part of Tuesday night with her brother while the couple's three daughters, ages 8 through 11, were with Ms. Gorsuch's father, with whom she lived, police said.

About 2 a.m., Superintendent Morton said, Ms. Gorsuch went to the brick ranch house she and her husband bought on Dinsmore Avenue in September 2012.

"She just came over to check on him," the superintendent said.

When Ms. Gorsuch had not returned six hours later, her father dropped the girls off at Crafton Elementary School and drove to the house, police said. He went inside and found their bodies in the first-floor kitchen, police said.

Ms. Gorsuch's father called for help about 8:15 a.m.

Investigators determined during autopsies that Mr. Gorsuch fired a single shot into his wife's head and then turned the gun and fired a shot into his head, according to the Allegheny County medical examiner's office.

Crafton police told county investigators that they did not know of any previous calls to the house, Superintendent Morton said. One neighbor said he occasionally heard the couple yelling.

"This is a sad situation for everybody involved," said Superintendent Morton, who spoke to reporters across the street from the crime scene. "You'll see that family members have come here on both sides."

Mr. Gorsuch was charged via summons with hunting without a license and violating Pennsylvania Game Commission rules in Kennedy in December. He was arrested in 2010 for DUI. Police took him home after they said he failed sobriety tests that night and released him to his wife, court records show. He later pleaded guilty and was ordered to complete an alternative to DUI program.

Relatives of the couple either could not be reached Wednesday or said they did not wish to comment.

Ms. Gorsuch's co-workers remembered her as "tirelessly dedicated." She worked since 2011 as a supervisor in the community employment division at Mercy Intellectual Disabilities Services, helping to find people with intellectual disabilities find jobs.

"She had a special affinity for and took great pride in her work ... ," senior director Curt Constant said in a statement. "We are stunned and deeply saddened by this news. We will miss Amy greatly and will remember her energy, enthusiasm, welcoming smile, passion for helping others, and love for her three children."

Counselors and psychologists were on hand Wednesday at Crafton Elementary School, where the couple's children are enrolled, according to the Carlynton School District.